Chief of Party/ Directeur de Projet

Overview

Lead project activities and staff to ensure quality and measurable impact.

You have:

• Master Degree in Agriculture, Nutrition, Food Security, Livelihood, Project management or other relevant professional qualification.
• Minimum 10 years of progressively responsible experience in providing management advisory services and or managing staff and operational systems at the international level;
• At least 3 years of experience managing EU- or other donor-funded programs.
• 5 years programming experience in bilateral and multi-lateral grants implementation (food security, Nutrition, Peace Building, health, water & sanitation).
• Strong executive skills set with the ability to manage for results and meet/exceed donor targets.
• Excellent in English & French communication skills (oral and written).
• Ability to lead a multi-cultural team with an empowering and outcome-oriented approach.
• Experience in managing inter-agency consortiums preferred.

With over 70 years of experience, our focus is on helping the most vulnerable children overcome poverty and experience fullness of life. We help children of all backgrounds, even in the most dangerous places, inspired by our Christian faith.

Come join our 34,000+ staff working in nearly 100 countries and share the joy of transforming vulnerable children’s life stories!

Employee Contract Type:

Local - Fixed Term Employee (Fixed Term)Job Description:

Purpose of the position:

The Chief of Party (COP) will have overall responsibility for the management of all project activities and staff. S/he will lead the planning and implementation of the project, overseeing all aspects (programmatic, financial, administrative, procurement, personnel, risk management) and will ensure that all project interventions are of a high quality and lead to measurable impact. This includes, but is not limited to, overseeing the annual work-plans preparation, identifying external technical support needs, ensuring that appropriate management practices are being used in project implementation and the Monitoring and Evaluation systems are being used to provide timely management information. S/he is also responsible for ensuring the security, feasibility, and sustainability of the program under his/her supervision.

The COP will manage the Consortium with CARE Burundi and COPED, facilitating their cooperation in developing and completing shared vision and goals; recommending policies that maximize the project’s impact, providing information about the project within the organization and ensuring activities to contribute to deliverables being carried out within all partner organizations.

The COP ensures that all programming/operations processes comply with WV Mission, Vision, Core Values and donor’s standards. S/He will strengthen accountability, programmatic integration, and ensure that all the grant objectives achieve maximum impact in for Child Well-being. The position will report to the National Director and will be based in Bujumbura, World Vision Burundi Head Office with frequent field visits to support frontline staff

The COP bears ultimate responsibility for ensuring that grantees and sub-grantees meet EU and program requirements.

MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES:

Direct and oversee the project implementation:

• Promotes excellence in planning, executions and reporting of the EU funded Resilience and Livelihoods, Health and Nutrition Project
• Direct and oversee grant implementation, on time, target/scope and budget/funding andensuring that all project results are met through proper design, staffing, implementation and quality assurance
• Improve forward planning of human resources, supply chain, procurement and logistics to increase the quality of project implementation
• Ensure adequate systems put in place to ensure effective monitoring of compliance with established EU policies, procedures and systems in the areas of Finance; Human Resources Management; Procurement; Information, Communication and Technology
• Work with M&E specialist, Finance team, technical managers and project managers to ensure that grant teams are fully aware of donor requirements and WV, CARE and COPED including Support Office expectations.
• Ensure all key project business processes and operations exceed donors and WV/ CARE/COPED industry standards. Promotes innovation in project implementation and empowers communities and community-based partners to lead key innovative business processes
• Ensures field operations receive timely/outstanding quality support from national office organizational effectiveness functions (Finance, Supply Chain Management, P&C, etc).
• Is accountable to mobilize/deliver this support to field operations with frequent field visits, monthly coordination grant meeting.
• Manage the project budget within approved spending levels and ensure accurate and timely financial repots to donors and WV Germany headquarters staff.
• Ensure the project expenses are reasonable, allocable, prudent and spent in accordance with donor rules and regulations
• Oversee property and equipment acquisition, disposition, and management in compliance with WV internal and donor requirements.

Leads donor engagement, relationship building and communication during projects implementation

• Maintains healthy dialogue with EU delegate, CARE Burundi, COPED, Support Offices and strategic partners (ensuring all donor/partner expectations are exceeded) leading to increased support for the project implementation
• Ensure well planned and organized visits as well as excellent customer care for donors and ensure good return on investment

Quality Assurance

• Work with the DME team to ensure the delivery of quality assessments, baselines, monitoring, and evaluations that adhere to donor/support office requirements and that document project progress, achievements, and successes
• Establish and maintain effective project communication systems and knowledge management, including reporting, assessment, and evaluation. Submit to EU delegate (WV Germany) timely, accurate, and professional program reports, including lessons learned and best practices, which meet donor requirements and WV standards.
• Ensures the project establish strong monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL) systems that facilitate effective tracking of progress, impact and timely reporting
• Identify opportunities for synergy and ensure integration across program sectors, with other World Vision Burundi, CARE Burundi and COPED programs and/or with other service providers to maximize impact for beneficiary households and communities.
• Lead the production, documentation and sharing of the project success stories/best practices with the support from the M&E Manager in collaboration with Communication coordinator
• Close monitoring of periodic (Quarterly, semi-annual and annual) progress reports focusing on quality standards and timely preparation and submission of accurate progress reports and other substantial and administrative reports to the donor
• Ensures CARE and COPED actively participate in key project business processes, implementation and M&E (and take ownership/leadership of key processes i.e, annual planning, reporting, learning etc)
• Ensure strong integration of gender, do no harm, and accountability to communities (as defined by the World Vision Humanitarian Accountability Partnership), including greater participation of community stakeholders across all sectors, regular communication to communities, and systematic collection of feedback.

Human Resources

• Supervise key Project Management Unit personnel and provide strategic direction for their respective roles, and hold direct reports accountable for their job requirements, performance, and results attributed to their respective posts
• Work with the WV, CARE and COPED HR department in the oversight of recruitment processes in accordance with corporate rules and regulations, appropriate use of different contractual modalities and contracts management.
• Ensure project staffs recruitment processes and performance management systems managed, ensuring linkage to job design with recruitment, performance management and career development
• Provide coaching and professional developmental support for all project staff planned and organized for competency building, staff development and learning

Risk Management and Grant Close out

• Advise senior management team of the project management issues that increase WVs risk exposure and develop appropriate mitigation strategies.
• Ensure that WV Burundi, CARE Burundi and COPED conducts due diligence before partnering with new organizations. Potential partners requiring due diligence include and sub grantees (NGO/CBOs).

QUALIFICATIONS: EDUCATION/KNOWLEDGE/TECHNICAL SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

The following may be acquired through a combination of formal or self-education, prior experience or on-the-job training:

Minimum Qualification required:

• Master Degree in Agriculture, Nutrition , Food Security, Livelihood, Project management and other relevant professional qualification.

Experience:

• Minimum 10 years of progressively responsible experience in providing management advisory services and or managing staff and operational systems, with a minimum of three years at the international level;
• At least 3 years of experience managing EU- or other donor-funded programs

Preferred:

• 5 years programming experience in bi lateral and multi-lateral grants implementation (food security, Nutrition, Peace Building, health, water & sanitation). Solid experience in EU grant management, donor networking and disaster risk reduction programming.
• Experience in managing inter-agency consortiums preferred.
• Experience of leading large and diverse teams
• Experience in leading and managing large grants in a complex environment.
• Experience as a CoP/PD or senior expert advisor required
• Experience managing sub grants and contracts under grants for complex projects

Technical Skill and Abilities:

• Strong executive skills set with the ability to manage for results and meet/exceed donor targets. Proven ability in the management of large integrated programs in developing countries; familiarity with EU grants and ability to integrate teams of professionals around common goals; demonstrated accomplishment in working with host-country professionals, ministries and with donor colleagues in country; leadership of large and diverse teams; diplomacy, strong presentation skills.
• Ability to integrate teams of professionals around common goals as well as demonstrated ability in working with host-country ministries and with donor colleagues in country.. Experience in capacity building of local organizations and/or government structures a plus.
• A proven ability to engage at a strategic level with senior Government, EU, UN and INGO officials.
• Demonstrated track record in EU and other grant management for major government donors
• Excellent in English & French communication skills (oral and written)
• Ability to lead a multi-cultural team with an empowering and outcome-oriented approach
• Excellent interpersonal, organizational and time management skills
• Excellent coaching and mentoring skills and proven record of performance developed of direct reports
• Thorough knowledge of MS Office
• Good understanding of World Vision and Sphere relief standards.
• Cross-cultural sensitivity, flexible worldview, emotional maturity and physical stamina
• Ability to maintain performance expectations in diverse cultural contexts, stressful environments and physical hardship conditions with limited resources.
• Ability to exhibit servant leadership, exemplary lifestyle as interpreted in specific local context.

Other Competencies/Attributes:

• Must be a committed Christian, able to stand above denominational diversities.
• Perform other duties as required.

WORKING ENVIRONMENT / CONDITIONS:

• Standard office environment. Position based overseas in assigned area development program. Extensive travel required; must be willing to travel and work for periods of time to field project sites, including rural sites with few amenities. Experience introducing, organizing and managing programs that achieve results.

• Travel: 10% Domestic/international travel is required.

• On call: 10%

• ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

Supervisory Responsibilities: The Chief of Party will have ultimate responsibility for a large staff spread across the country. S/he will have direct supervision over project key personnel (the Operations Manager, Finance Manager, DME Manager. The COP will collaborate and coordinate internally with Operations Director, the Finance Director, PDQA Director, Advocacy External Engagement and Partnership Director, Etc.). The COP is responsible for all Technical and Administrative aspects of the project, including financial management.

Applicant Types Accepted:

Local Applicants Only

Apply now

Potential interview questions

Added 1 year ago - Updated 1 year ago - Source: wvi.org